The New York state Department of Environmental Conservation is offering tips to avoid conflicts with coyotes as their breeding season begins.
Coyotes are prevalent across the state, according to DEC wildlife biologist Mandy Watson — including in suburban and even some urban areas.
That can pose some risks for pets, Watson said during a recent appearance on public radio's "Capitol Pressroom." Coyotes with young pups become territorial, and they can view a dog as a threat.
She urged pet owners to keep their dogs on a leash while walking them and to not leave them unattended outside.
Watson said while it's rare for a coyote to attack a human, they still should be taken seriously.
"They are still, you know, a pretty large animal, around 40 pounds or so, and they need to be respected," she said. "Coyotes are everywhere. They're probably in your neighborhood. And it's just best to kind of learn how to coexist with them, learn how to avoid them."
Watson also said it's important to make sure coyotes maintain a certain wariness of humans.
"We don't want them getting too comfortable around people," she said. "Not good for us, not good for the coyotes either. We want them to be living their best wild lives."
Watson said if a coyote runs away after being yelled at, that's "what we want."
"Where we would start to get concerned is if we have coyotes that are coming in really close, it doesn't seem like they're afraid of somebody. They're not running away," she said. "In those instances, we would say it's generally best to reach out to your local DEC wildlife office."
If a coyote is actually attacking, she said, contact local law enforcement.
Watson also said there are things you can do to make your yard less attractive to coyotes.
"(Remove) any attractants; that can include bird feeders that might be congregating squirrels and other small mammals that coyotes would be eating," she said.
She also advised people to cover compost piles and secure trash bins.